The present invention relates to a thin film shielded magnetic read head device, comprising an end face extending in a first direction, in which a magnetic information carrier is movable with respect to the magnetic head device, and in a second direction, perpendicular to said first direction, the magnetic head device further comprising shield forming flux guiding elements for magnetic cooperation with the information carrier, which elements extend in the second direction and in a third direction, perpendicular to the first and the second direction, and form a flux path in the first and the third direction, and a magnetoresistive element with a spin tunnel junction structure, one of said shields forming a common contact lead for the current through said magnetoresistive element.
Such a shielded magnetic read head device is known from EP-A-0 791 916. In the head device described in said document both shields are used as a contact lead for the current through the magnetoresistive element. Therefore, the known construction is limited to a single channel head device.